I Want To Be More Than Friends
by Ziirroh
Summary: It was only one simple act (and a bunch of lame words) that somehow managed to win her over. Now Victoria wasn't sure if she should be watching Mark or Max.
1. Something Good

**A/N: This was written to celebrate a follower milestone on my tumblr blog. Also, keep in mind that this story was actually written before Episode 2 was released, so it doesn't line up well with canon (whoops). I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

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Victoria thought she would get over this kind of thing.

She always heard through the whispers behind her back that she was a stubborn bitch, who only wanted to get in a guy's pants. She would say to those bigoted gossips that they were liars, but they weren't entirely wrong. Well, the "stubborn bitch" part may be true- to a certain extent- but _only_ wanting to get into guys' pants. Now that wasn't a valid statement.

Mr. Jefferson was leaning against a desk in the middle of the classroom, once in a while taking a few steps here or there as he spoke to his students about the progression of photography from the 1800s to modern times. Normally, Victoria would be avidly listening to the smooth timbre of his voice, but lately she found her interest in him waning as her eyes traveled over to another.

Max Caulfield, resident retro nerd of Blackwell Academy, had taken hold of her attention.

Technically Max had always been under her radar of dorks to mess around with. Ever since the dweeb had step foot in class she was constantly under Mark's seemingly endless praise towards her. All of this attention from one of her idols had Victoria becoming vigilant.

Initially it began as a territorial paranoia, done in a way that would make Max understand that Mr. Jefferson's attention was off-limits to any girl.

Now...Now Victoria wasn't sure if she should be watching Mark or Max.

Sitting with her elbow on the back of her seat, Victoria rested her cheek in one hand as she discretely observed the hipster across from her. All the while she was seemingly paying attention to Mr. Jefferson's lecture. Her eyes flicked over to Max with every movement she made. Whatever object she came into contact with, Victoria would then carefully observe how she interacted with it.

Very rarely did she look at Max's face, just in case they would accidentally make eye contact, and then Max would become aware of her gaze. Though when Victoria did sneak a peek, her focus always led to the girl's childish round cheeks, long dark lashes that fluttered over doe-like eyes, and those soft peach-colored lips.

It made her want to smack herself.

It was absolutely infuriating how infatuated she had become with the girl. It was only one simple act (and a bunch of lame words) that somehow managed to win her over.

When Max had approached her being soaked with water and covered in paint, she expected karma to come biting her in the ass. Instead, the little dweeb actually came to _comfort_ her. Her! The one who has been harassing and bullying Max ever since she appeared at the Academy. What really got to her was how _genuine_ it was. The lone little loser came to her not out of spite, but with compassion. It was utterly ridiculous, and Victoria loved every second of it.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class for the day. Victoria continued to observe Max as the girl gathered her things together and stood. Meanwhile Victoria had pretended to be busy with gathering her own things.

Max took a moment to speak with Kate, a small flare of envy burned in Victoria at the sight, before she walked towards the door. Once she was out of sight Victoria quickly shoved her possessions in her bag and strode after the girl. Mr. Jefferson glanced at her with a look of subtle surprise as she stalked out the door. For once, she didn't feel like talking with Mark.

It wasn't difficult to spot the nerd down the hall, so Victoria kept an easy pace behind her without looking too obvious to the other students. She could tell from this distance that Max had her earbuds in, tuning out the rest of the world around her. Tuning out her.

Shaking her head Victoria brushed that last thought off, scowling at how lame she had become. It was admittedly pathetic the way she felt like fawning over Max like this. Always wanting to ensnare the girl's attention solely on her.

After passing through the entrance doors a cool breeze whispered by her ears, the bright sun beams blanketing her body with warmth. It was nice day for a jog. Maybe she could convince that lanky noodle to run with her.

 _Ugh. Get over yourself Tori._

Releasing an irritated sigh she once more sought out Max, who was currently on the path towards the dorms. Making her strides a bit longer she managed to catch up with Max in the girls' dorm building, but by then she was already entering her room. Releasing a hopeless sigh Victoria trudged to her own room, tossing her bag onto one corner of her sofa and sitting down with a tired slump.

What did she think was going to happen if she had caught up with her? What did she _expect_ to happen?

This was ridiculous. She was being irrational about the situation. It's not like Max ever talked or treated her any different than the other students at Blackwell. In fact, Max really was a loner most of the time. She never seemed to hang out with anyone after school, being that she was often focused on her studies. There were the few occasions where she hung out with Kate or that geek Warren (who obviously had a thing for her), and recently she had been visiting Dana in her room to chat. It still had Victoria wondering how Max even made friends at all, with her shy and anti-social demeanor.

Emitting a low groan Victoria covered her eyes with her hands and tried to think of something that wasn't Max. She stood up and settled on working on a few of her assignments and essays for her other classes, hoping that it would distract her. For the most part, it seemed to have worked. Victoria had gotten caught up in her own frustration with citing sources and finding reliable data to use for her work. She had nearly forgotten all about her troubles with Max, but once she was done, and had run out of assignments to do, they all came springing back.

It seemed impossible. All thoughts of Max eventually trickled back to her. Whether they were contemplations about if Max struggled with her studies, or just idle thoughts of her in general. Thoughts that turned from innocent musings about her lifestyle to a curious desire to feel her soft skin under her fingertips.

Face growing hot, Victoria shot up from where she lay on her bed, grabbing a towel, shampoo, and a change of clothes from her closet before storming out of the room.

It had gotten late, if the dark campus seen from the window that was near the showers was any indication. Victoria hadn't realized exactly how long she had been working, far too immersed in trying to distract herself from thinking about Max.

Victoria opened the door quietly and entered the room. She noted the sound of water streaming from a single shower. Looking to her left, she saw a pile of clothes sitting on the outcrop of a small ledge. Someone must have taken the opportunity of the night to have the showers all to themselves. Victoria debated on whether to let her curiosity get the better of her and snoop through the clothes to learn who else was in here. As she mulled against these thoughts someone's voice drifted over to her and echoed off the walls.

 _Something good, oh something good, oh something good_

 _Oh something good tonight will make me forget about you for now…_

With a hint of guilty pleasure Victoria recognized the voice belonging to the one and only person occupying her thoughts as of late.

 _Forty-eight thousand seats bleats_

 _And roars for my memories of you…_

Victoria didn't proceed any further past the first shower stall, for fear that she would be caught listening to Max singing (like some sort of creep). She also didn't want Max to realize her presence and inevitably cease her singing.

 _Now that I'm fully clean_

 _The matador is no more and is dragged from view…_

Victoria never realized just how lovely Max's voice sounded when she wasn't nervously babbling in class, or awkwardly making conversation with other students.

 _Get high, hit the floor before you go_

 _Matador, estocada, you're my blood sport…_

Perhaps it was just Victoria's newfound crush that made her think so, but at this moment Max could very well be an actual Muse living among mortals. After all, Victoria recognized that Max had a good eye when it came to photography, and every once in a while she heard Max playing the guitar in her room. Victoria also noticed that she would draw in her private notebook on occasion. Now here she was singing, and it sounded better than she would have ever imagined.

 _And here I am listening in like some creep while thinking all of this. What am I, a freaking poet?_

The squeak of the door swinging open abruptly broke the illusion of seclusion. Max immediately ceased singing and Victoria busied herself with looking into a mirror as two girls entered. One of them Victoria recognized as being part of Hayden's posse, and so she had the misfortune of being noticed.

"Oh. Hey Victoria. Just got here?" One of the girls said in a chirpy voice.

 _Shit._

"Yeah. What's it to you?" She snapped back reflexively.

 _Now that dork definitely knows I'm here._

"Nothing, just saying." The girl said with a slight huff.

The two girls then went towards the sinks and began brushing their teeth while making small talk. Victoria pretended to occupy herself with washing her face. The girls didn't take long, soon leaving as quickly as they appeared.

Victoria had remained silent after the initial conversation, and only now did she decide to stalk toward a shower stall, if only to save her from the embarrassment of seeing Max. The first stall was still out of order and Max was in the second one, thus leaving her to go to the third. In her flustered state she hadn't noticed that the shower Max occupied had already been shut off, and as she walked by the curtain suddenly slid open.

Max just _had_ to choose that very moment to ruin her life.

Standing there in blatant nudity, and staring straight at her like a gaping fish, was that quirky geek. Victoria found that she couldn't direct her eyes away.

Max had a petite figure, nicely toned despite how introverted she seemed. There was a bright red blush across her face that only defined the freckles on her cheeks even more, and the way her damp hair clung to her skin made Victoria's heart race.

Her mind was going a mile a minute with all sorts of thoughts.

It was only within a short moment that they stared at each other, and Victoria had nearly forgotten to put on her act. She quickly collected herself under the guise of her 'bitch' mask and spoke. "Didn't think you were that eager to see me, Caulfield." She said arrogantly as she gestured at Max's body with a smirk.

Max's face turned an even more delightful shade of red, before she self-consciously covered herself in embarrassment. The movement didn't help much to cover what Victoria had already drank in, and only further framed her figure in the most delightful way. "I-It's not like that Victoria." Max stammered nervously, a manner Victoria felt comfortable with.

Victoria couldn't help but laugh at her reaction and Max used the brief reprieve to rush to the small bench where her things lay. In a frantic behavior she clumsily attempted to put on her clothes, all the while Victoria's eyes followed her with a devious look.

 _Now I have her all to myself._

With a newfound burst of courage Victoria sauntered over to a half dressed Max. She had only managed to get on her under garments, and was currently sliding a loose t-shirt over her head. It was such a tacky piece of clothing, with little yellow chicks across it. Most likely it was something she only wore when relaxing alone in her dorm room. Though the sight of the t-shirt barely covering the lower half of her body made Victoria bite her lip in anticipation.

Max had her back to her and was attempting to put her shorts on when Victoria grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around. Max was clearly startled by the sudden proximity between herself and Victoria, her gray-blue eyes swirling with bewilderment.

"Look at you." Victoria purred as she cupped Max's chin in her hand. "You're such a mess." The blush on Max's face returned (or perhaps it had never left), and Victoria was absolutely enjoying every second of it. "You know something Max." Victoria susurrated as she leaned closer.

Max tried backing away, but it only resulted in trapping herself. Victoria had her pinned, with one arm against the wall. "Gah! Uh. W-what is it, Victoria." Max swallowed nervously, and Victoria couldn't help but watch the movement of her throat.

Victoria then chuckled at the poor attempt at conversation and how Max's eyes flicked anxiously on everything that wasn't her. When Max did try to speak again she became a blubbering mess. Victoria took the hand not occupied with Max's face and had slid it towards the hem of her shirt. Max was unable to form a coherent sentence without butchering the English language entirely.

Victoria was extremely tempted to just kiss her right then and there. The moment was opportune, and Max was behaving like such a total dork that it had become an extremely endearing effect. Looking at her soft pink lips she licked her own, the action not going unnoticed as Max went red-faced once more. Leaning so close that their chests were barely touching, Victoria grazed her lips over Max's ear making the girl release a choked yelp.

"You sing pretty well for such a twee poser." She breathed. Max's eyes went wide at the revelation. She then shuddered at the sensation of Victoria's warm breath against her skin. A small gasp escaped her lips when Victoria began to idly trace her nails along the side of her waist.

"Do you want to know something else?" She said provocatively, fingers teasing at the border of Max's underwear. There was an audible gulp as Max slowly nodded. Her breathing was becoming short and shallow, and Victoria relished feeling every wisp of air against her collar.

Gradually pulling away, she angled her gaze down into Max's eyes. It was like staring into a blue sky with cloud cover. Her gaze was hazy, as if she were hypnotized. Victoria was now only scant centimeters from Max's face, their noses were practically touching.

She didn't know who initiated the contact, but in the end it didn't matter.

The kiss was rough, at first. Victoria only wanted to satisfy the thirst building up inside of her these past few hours. Yet instead of breaking away like she was supposed to, she indulged in it longer than she should have. It was not like she had much choice in the matter anyway, as Max suddenly had her arms wrapped around her neck and was pulling her closer.

Victoria became less hungry as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, and when she felt Max's tongue running across her bottom lip she willingly allowed it entrance. The feeling of both of their tongues tangling and dancing with one another was the most delicious thing she could have ever experienced. Though she did take a moment to wonder how Max was such a great kisser (not that she would admit that to her face).

One of Max's hands fisted into her hair as Victoria's wandering fingers began to trail up under her shirt and trace along the edges of her bra. Victoria then broke out of the kiss and began to leave impressions of her lips from Max's jawline and down her neck. She could still taste the water on her skin, and each hot kiss she left had Max sighing with utter pleasure.

It was the soft calling of her name from those terribly sweet lips that sent a spiking heat through her body. It was both exhilarating and frightening to experience this sudden rush of passion with another person, especially with someone like Max.

Parting slightly, both girls found themselves panting heavily for breath as they stared at each other with incredulous expressions. "So…that just happened." Max said breathlessly. "That, or I must be dreaming."

Victoria removed her hands from underneath Max's shirt and managed a haughty laugh. She flicked her fingers against Max's forehead, making the girl pout and move one hand to rub the spot. "I wouldn't want you to dream about anybody else." Victoria had meant to come off as nonchalant, but once Max smiled at her she had found her resolve slipping. She then dipped her head and looked towards the ground. "You didn't hear me say that, got it dweeb." She mumbled uncharacteristically.

Max giggled, the noise causing her to blush just at how pleasant it sounded. "Okay then. Whatever you say Victoria." Biting her lip Victoria faced Max again. The dork was watching her with this goofy grin on her face, and it made her feel challenged in some way.

Victoria then captured her lips again as a show of dominance, but the meaning was lost since Max wouldn't stop stupidly giggling into it. Pulling away again Victoria gave her a scowl. "What's so funny, nerd?"

"It's nothing, really. Just that I was thinking about how cute you're being right now."

 _Huh. What does she mean by that? How is that funny?_

Max giggled again at the stupefied expression on Victoria's face and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "I guess…I'm just kind of happy right now." She admitted shyly.

"Oh. _Oh._ I see…" Victoria said, her voice trailing off in thought.

A small smile graced Victoria's lips then, and without thinking about it she brought Max against her in an embrace. Max was a bit surprised by it, but soon settled into it and wrapped an arm comfortingly around her back.

"I guess you can be kind of cute too." Victoria said quietly her hair, making Max grin.

They stood together like that a few moments longer before Max finally spoke up. "Um, Victoria? It's getting kind of chilly, and I'm still not wearing any pants."

Blushing furiously, Victoria shoved Max at arm's length before reflexively crossing her arms with a glare. Max only chuckled at her behavior. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'm going to take a shower." Victoria said with a huff. "You better not go blabbing about this-" She pointed between the two of them, "to everyone on campus."

"Of course not, Victoria." Max said with another one of those sickeningly sweet smiles.

"Good."

Victoria slipped past her and strutted over to a stall. She didn't bother looking back as she immediately closed the curtain behind her. She placed her clothes aside on a small outcrop of a raised ledge near the curtain and turned the faucet on. As she washed herself a gentle voice on the other side of the stall pierced through the rushing of the water. Max began singing again.

Victoria found herself relaxing at the melodic tone and it made the experience of her shower much more pleasant. It was strange, like time had frozen and only the two of them could freely move within it.

Closing her eyes she allowed her imagination to wander. Images of a serene verdant grove surrounding her, a fresh water stream trickling nearby as a Nymph sang a lullaby under the shade of a willow…

Victoria snapped her eyes open and shut off the shower.

 _Yup. I'm definitely losing my mind to twee romance poetry._

Victoria then mumbled a curse under her breath as she realized she had dropped her towel when she hugged Max earlier. As she slid open the curtain part way and prepared to step out, she was greeted with a soft white towel thrusted at her face.

Looking past it she could see Max had her head turned away, averting her gaze and keeping things modest as she held it out for Victoria to take. The act of kindness had caught her off guard for a moment, but she accepted it without question. There was a silence between them as Victoria dried off behind the closed curtain, and once she stepped out fully dressed did Max speak.

"So…I guess I'll be going back to my room then." She sounded almost reluctant, and there seemed to be a hint of an invitation somewhere in her statement. At least, Victoria hoped she didn't just imagine it there.

Placing a hand on her hip Victoria looked at her appraisingly. "If you want to invite me to your room you can just say so." Max looked up and beamed a smile at her, quickly turning away to collect her things. "I'll come over shortly, so you better not fall asleep when I do." Victoria said with a huff.

Max looked to her and nodded enthusiastically, and Victoria couldn't shake the image of a puppy awaiting its master's praise. After leaving the showers both girls went to their rooms, and Victoria gathered together some things to bring over.

Those few minutes of preparing felt like an eternity. She didn't know what to do with herself. She kept fidgeting and trying to occupy herself with something that would keep her mind off of the image of a naked Max. Even if it only lasted for just a few seconds.

Soft knocks on her door became a welcomed interruption. The person on the other side, not so much.

"I thought we were going to meet up in your room later?" Victoria quirked a brow as she looked down at none other than Max. She was staring at the ground shyly, in her silly chicken print pajamas, and was holding a pillow close to her chest. "I got kind of impatient." She mumbled into the pillow. Max raised her eyes and locked her gaze with Victoria's.

There was no way she could ignore that kicked puppy look.

"Fine. Stop looking like I took your candy, or something, and get in here." Max grinned excitedly and dashed into the room. Victoria rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh, but that didn't stop a smile from spreading on her face.

Closing the door, she turned around to find Max had already made herself comfortable on her white love seat. She was still clutching the pillow and peeking over the top of it at Victoria. "What are you doing there, dork? Over here." Victoria strutted over to the bed and sat at its edge, patting the mattress invitingly. "Well? I don't have all night Max."

Max looked at her skeptically for a moment before carefully shuffling her way over. By then Victoria was growing tired of her unnecessarily slow movements. Once Max was close enough she pulled on her arm and dragged the girl close against her. Max let out a yelp of surprise as the two fell onto the mattress. Max was laying on top of Victoria with only the pillow between them. Once she removed the final barrier, by tossing the pillow aside, Victoria pulled her into a gentle embrace while sighing in content.

"You can be so insufferable sometimes. You know that." Victoria said as she nuzzled the top of her head. Max chuckled and buried her face into the crook of her neck, rubbing her nose against her collar.

Despite the events that occurred earlier in the showers Victoria felt content to just lie there with Max in her arms. It felt nice to just have someone else there. Someone you could enjoy being with just for the sake of their presence.

After a few minutes the two adjusted their positions so they could be more comfortable. Max sleeping on her side while Victoria held her from behind. It was calming, and Victoria couldn't help but wonder why Max seemed to fit so perfectly in this position. It was like Max had relived this experience with Victoria several times before.

Max took one of Victoria's hands and lifted it up to press a lingering kiss on the inside of her wrist. It was such an abnormal gesture to her, but Victoria felt oddly flattered by it. She gave a light squeeze as she held Max closer, burying her nose in her hair and smelling the scented shampoo.

It didn't take long for the comfort of silence to settle in, and soon Victoria found herself drifting off to sleep. Max seemed to have already fallen victim to slumber; her breathing having gone quiet and steady.

After moving a few strands of Max's hair out of the way Victoria brushed her lips over the nape of her neck, pressing a soft kiss there, before moving to plant a kiss atop her head. She felt a bit silly for doing it, but for some reason it felt right.

Victoria fell asleep soundly with her arms around Max, not knowing how Max lay awake smiling.


	2. I'm Just An Asteroid

Max had her suspicions that she was being watched. It was a familiar sensation, like when she first arrived at Blackwell Academy. Curious eyes spying upon her as she treaded nervously in its halls. Yes. it was all too familiar, except it felt different.

Being watched by nosy teens was awkward, but at least she generally knew who was staring. Whoever kept their eyes on her now was doing a stellar job at remaining unseen.

Every time Max would get a prickling feeling on the back of her neck she'd casually look around, expecting to find a student's straying gaze.

Instead she found nothing. Nobody zoning out in her direction or trying to grab her attention. In fact, she had not once caught a glimpse of the pair of eyes observing her.

At first, she chalked it up to paranoia. After getting her time powers Max had done a ton of research. It turns out staying up late at night reading conspiracy theories on time travel and its consequences could make a person a bit wound up. However, there couldn't be anyone else that would know about her power since she hadn't mentioned it out loud to anyone other than Chloe, and that was in a secluded area.

Whatever was giving her this feeling didn't seem hostile but it made her uneasy nonetheless.

Max plopped into her seat as the bell rang, placing her bag and its contents appropriately about her desk.

After Mr. Jefferson ushered the rest of the students in he promptly began his lecture. He was never one to beat around the bush.

Max listened intently to the lesson, at least until Mr. Jefferson went on a tangent, then she started to let her thoughts drift into daydreams of time travel hijinks. Reality soon popped her bubble as the prickly feeling resurfaced and Max regrettably snapped to attention.

If she learned anything from her previous behavior it was that her observer was keen on not being exposed. So, she didn't bother trying to look around but instead she went back to focusing on the lecture and hoped that it would help keep her mind off the whole situation.

Of course, it didn't work in the slightest.

At least now Max could narrow down the number of suspects to whoever was in her class.

It was easy to eliminate half of the people on her mental list since they sat in front of her, so that left only the students out of her peripheral.

To her right sat Kate and she felt that it was safe to cross her off. She was the least likely person to continuously stare at Max without saying anything. Also, Kate had been keeping to herself a lot lately. It made Max worry, but she didn't want to push it too much. She hoped that Kate would come to her to talk when she was ready.

Next was herself, which obviously wouldn't have made sense anyway. Unless a future version of herself traveled back in time to stalk her for whatever reason. Otherwise she definitely couldn't watch herself. Besides, it would be really creepy and she doubted that any time era of herself would ever bother doing that due to the sheer creepiness of it all.

Last there was Taylor and Victoria sitting to her left.

She honestly couldn't think of any legitimate reason for why Taylor could be possibly watching her. She didn't recall making any encounters with the girl recently that would get her on her bad side.

Her only option was Victoria, but even the mere thought of it seemed farfetched.

Max didn't take time to dwell on it much as the bell rung, signaling the end of classes for the day. She took a moment to gather her things and then walked over to Kate. While they shared some small talk about classes Max felt an uncanny chill run up her spine that made her want to hurry to the dorm.

By the time she reached her room Max felt exhausted. It was mostly due to her staying up late rather than the idea of someone watching her.

All she wanted to do now was to peacefully relax in her room.

Turning on her stereo Max let the music wash over her as she dropped her bag by the desk and changed into comfortable sleep wear. She then went back to the desk, sat in her chair and resumed research on the whole time travel business.

She kept at it for awhile, detouring here and there on social medias and funny dog videos, until a glance at the clock told her it was time for a break. She wasn't up for another long night of staring at the screen.

She rose into a stretch as she got up from the chair and lumbered towards her bed. She was tempted to just toss herself on it and let the music lull her to sleep, but she kind of needed a shower. She felt a little dingy, especially since she didn't shower the night before. Reluctantly she got up, gathered her bathing essentials and headed out the door.

Max treaded carefully down the hall as she made her way to the shower room. Although it was highly unlikely that she would make any noise she didn't want to risk an encounter with a grumpy dormmate.

The door was left open and to Max's glee the room was devoid of occupants, which meant that she wouldn't have to share the space with no one else.

As she passed through the doorway Max pushed the door closed behind her, not bothering to check if it shut completely.

She debated on whether to bring her clothes with her into the stall. Although the stalls were spacious enough to set her clothes on a short ledge near the curtain she wasn't up for wearing damp clothing on her way back to her room, or being anxious over the chances of it happening.

Instead she made a bold move and undressed outside the stalls, setting her clothes on a ledge near the first shower stall. She wasn't too concern on anyone walking in on her since it seemed pretty late. She highly doubted that anyone else would be up as late as her.

Once she got in the shower she quickly washed her hair and body before letting the warm water envelop her. She usually liked to stay longer in the shower simply so she could relax under the even flow. Unbidden words sprung from her lips as the urge to sing came to her.

Max knew she wasn't a fantastic singer, but she liked it nonetheless as music was also an outlet for her. Sometimes the lyrics just clicked and she had to sing them for herself to make them feel like her own.

She sang the verses out of place but that didn't stop her. What did stop her was hearing the violent squeak of the door hinges as it swung open and hearing two girls walking in.

"Oh. Hey, Victoria, just got here?"

 _Victoria?!_

Max's mind raced. Wondering why she didn't hear Victoria come in earlier.

 _How long did she listen to me sing?_

Max's face grew warm as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. She hardly ever sang in public areas. Letting her guard down by thinking she had the showers all to herself was a big slip up on her part.

She turned off the shower and lingered a while longer, waiting for the other occupants to leave. It was then she remembered her clothes outside of the stall and the thought made Max jumpy. Her once bold decision now became one of regret.

A shiver coursed through her body, reminding Max that she couldn't stand there forever, and it pushed her to open the curtain and rush out.

Right into Victoria's path.

Everything that came after got lost in a blur of flustered thoughts and clumsy movements. She managed to get her underwear and a shirt on through all the mess at least. Then the next thing she knew, Victoria had her against the wall, pressing dangerously close while wearing a devilish smirk that sent odd tremors of excitement through Max's body.

Victoria leaned her head forward, whispering into Max's ear, and at first Max almost missed what she said, being far more focused on the feeling of each breath that tickled her damp skin.

Max could feel herself slipping into a trance. A dream that clouded her vision and swept away the border that defined reality. She felt it in the way Victoria's green eyes consumed hers, like a forest surrounding a lake. She felt like she could drown in that lake. Feel its waters sliding over her like the way Victoria's fingers traced her skin beneath the hem of her shirt.

Victoria made the first move, crashing their lips together in a fierce but clumsy manner. It caught Max off-guard. So much so, that out of reflex Max pushed the taller girl away.

"What the heck!" Victoria shouted angrily.

Max held a hand before her, eyes clenched shut in fear of Victoria's wrath, but after seconds had passed there came nothing.

Slowly she opened her eyes and felt a wave of relief wash over her as time was frozen around her.

"I can't believe I forgot about this." Max almost laughed.

Lowering her hand, she took the opportunity to observe Victoria. The anger on her face was evident. It was really the only thing anyone would notice if they were to see Victoria right now. However, there was a nagging thought that pressed Max to keep looking. So, Max looked at one of the only other things that interested her.

If Victoria looked at you long enough then anyone would see that her eyes were a unique shade of green. It wasn't easy to tell in the dimly lit room right now, but Max knew how vibrant those eyes could be. She's had Victoria looking down on her enough times to notice. That's when it hit her.

"She looks..."

 _Hurt._

It was a simple way to put it, but that was how Max could see it. Victoria looked angry, sure, but there was that thin layer behind the mask that Max never would have known if she didn't have this ability. It made Max feel kind of guilty for pushing the blonde away so abruptly.

"It's not like I didn't like it…" Max admitted to herself, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She was mostly just startled by how fast everything was moving.

She stared at Victoria for a long moment and debated on her next move.

"I guess I should start with rewinding a bit and avoiding all of this entirely?" Max said with uncertainty, biting her lip as she looked at Victoria's. "Ugh! Screw it." Max then moved herself against the wall Victoria had her pinned against. She positioned herself in what she felt was right and rewound time just the slightest bit. Right before the kiss.

She let Victoria initiate it again, this time not pushing her away in surprise since she now expected the kiss. She thought things were going well until Victoria was the one to push away from Max.

"You know, you're not that great of a kisser, Caufield."

Time froze almost immediately as Max held a raised hand. She felt appalled, almost offended at what Victoria said.

"Okay, so maybe I haven't kissed that many people, or any for that matter, but really Tori?" Max said in an exasperated tone. "You know, I could have just rewound to before I stepped out of that shower." She pointed to the parted curtain of the second stall. "And even though you can't actually hear me saying all of this, I'll show you that I can be great at kissing! I will be the best kisser you've ever had, in fact!"

Max rewound time again…and again and again. She turned time on a whim, just so she could prove to a unknowing blonde how good she could be.

With every rewind Max found out new things about Victoria. She learned the deepness of her passion, the extent to which she was allowed to go and how to coax Victoria into maintaining control of the situation despite Max already knowing what to expect.

The last kiss was the one that left Max dizzy. She had grown accustomed to the rewind the last dozen times they kissed, but this one was _the_ one.

They were wrapped around each other; fingers tightening in hair, nails lightly dragging across bare skin. Max couldn't resist sighing Victoria's name, letting it tumble out of her mouth as Victoria made a path of kisses from her mouth and toward her throat.

When they finally parted Max couldn't help but think it was all a dream. It was Victoria's playful flick to her forehead that signified otherwise.

The two girls shared a bit of banter, Victoria almost naturally falling back into her usual persona she carried around campus. However, Max was far too happy to allow the blonde to escape into that façade, successfully keeping Victoria in a light-hearted mood.

Eventually Max was finally able to put her pajama pants on and waited for Victoria to take a shower. It was funny how both of their plans for showering and leaving got interrupted by each other.

Max still felt like she was on cloud nine, and while listening to the water she felt the urge to sing again.

 _No, I've never met someone quite like you_

 _What's the trick to everything you do_

 _I like all you are_

 _I'm just an asteroid and you are a star_

While Max sang she noticed a towel on the floor. Deducing it was Victoria's she picked it up as she continued to sing, slowly padding closer to the stall.

 _Sorry that I make so many mistakes_

 _Let me keep looking at your face_

 _I know it must get annoying_

 _But that's my thing, I'm so boring_

Max stopped singing when the sound of the water halted, stepping near the curtain she held the towel towards it and averted her gaze. Despite the whole makeout session she wasn't quite sure she was ready to step over the boundary of seeing Victoria naked.

They parted ways, with Max giving an awkward invitation for Victoria to come to her room after. It only took seven minutes before Max grew restless. Grabbing a pillow, she quietly slipped out of her room and treaded to the one across. A couple of gentle knocks and soon she was greeted with a pretty face. Now that she was here Max felt a little jittery. Funny, considering everything that happened beforehand.

"I thought we were going to meet up in your room later?" Victoria said curiously. Max fidgeted under her stare, half burying her face into the pillow she held as she peeked up at the blonde. "I got kind of impatient."

Victoria gave an exasperated sigh when she spoke next, but nevertheless she allowed Max entry, who hurried in and automatically sat on the settee near the door. She still felt nervous as she held the pillow close to her chest, but Victoria's invite to her bed made her less so.

Max yelped when Victoria pulled her down, tossing the pillow aside and holding Max against her chest. Max relished the feeling of Victoria nuzzling against her head, as well as the gentle sigh that escaped her lungs when she reciprocated the motion against her collar. Soon they were adjusting themselves so that the blonde was spooning her.

Max felt utter content with Victoria's arms wrapped around her. She couldn't help but take one of her hands and raise its wrist to her lips to convey this. In return, she felt herself pulled even closer as Victoria inhaled the scent of her hair.

Max suddenly felt encumbered then, her eyes wanting to drift shut. Her breathing began to even out as it became slow and steady. Before she completely went under Max felt fingers brushing aside the hair covering her neck. Then there was a kiss so soft that she almost missed it. Another was placed on her head and Max fell asleep soon after while smiling at the sweet gesture.

 **A/N: A teeny shout out to a fic by _blamethebluebirds_ where I mention how Max couldn't wait more than seven minutes to see Victoria again hahah. It's a pretty good Maximum Victory read, though it might not get updated at any time soon (sad face). www,fanfiction,net/s/11086504/1/Seven-Minutes-From-You **  
**As for the song lyrics I got them from an artist who you can find on bandcamp, but I'm going to save you the trouble by leaving a link. It's _I'm Just an Asteroid_ by Joni Lemons which can be found in their Punk Lemonade album. I quite enjoy their music and maybe you will too.  
jonilemons,bandcamp,com/**

 **Anyways, as I was writing this I realized, "dang. I need to edit the first chapter again sometime". Right now it's not really a priority, but if someone starts going, "Oh, but Ziirroh, you forgot the proper punctuation there" or something else in a dramatic way then maybe I'll reconsider hahah. I'm probably going to work on another Maximum Victory fic, but we'll see how that comes along. If you want to know more about what I'm up to I suggest checking out my profile since I actually update it with chit chat about what I'm planning/doing. As always thanks for your patience, readers, I would be hopeless without your encouraging reviews and notifications of favs/follows. Have a lovely day~**


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